Spacewar!: Difference between revisions

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'''Spacewar!''' is perhaps the earliest widespread [[video game]]. It was written at MIT for their then-new [[PDP-1]], using the [[vector graphics]] [[display]] on the machine.
'''Spacewar!''' is perhaps the earliest widespread [[video game]]. It was written at [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology|MIT]] for their then-new [[Digital Equipment Corporation|DEC]] [[PDP-1]] at [[Research Laboratory of Electronics|RLE]], using the [[Type 30 Visual CRT Display]] [[vector graphics]] [[display]] on the machine.


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It initially conceived by Stephen R. (Slug) Russell, J. Martin Graetz and Wayne Wiitanen, and written by a varying combination, over time, of Graetz and Russell along with Dan Edwards, Alan Kotok, Robert A. Saunders, Peter Samson and Steven Piner.
 
A version was later made available for the [[IMLAC PDS-1]]; [[object code]] for several revisions of the IMLAC version seems to exist.
 
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==Further reading==
 
* J. M. Graetz, [https://www.masswerk.at/spacewar/SpacewarOrigin.html ''The Origin of Spacewar''], ''Creative Computing'', Volume 7, Number 8, August, 1981
* Joseph F. Goodavage, [https://www.kaleberg.com/spacewar/ Space War], ''Saga'', November 1972
* Stewart Brand, [https://www.wheels.org/spacewar/stone/rolling_stone.html ''Spacewar: Fanatic Life and Symbolic Death Among the Computer Bums''], ''Rolling Stone'', 7 December 1972 - famous article
* Matthew Lasar, [https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2011/10/spacewar-the-first-2d-top-down-shooter-turns-50/ ''Spacewar!, the first 2D top-down shooter, turns 50''], ''Ars Technica'', Oct 25, 2011
* Ryan P. Smith, [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-first-popular-video-game-kicked-off-generations-virtual-adventure-180971020/ How the First Popular Video Game Kicked Off Generations of Virtual Adventure], ''Smithsonian Magazine'', December 13, 2018
 
==External links==
 
* [https://www.computerhistory.org/pdp-1/spacewar/ Spacewar!] - PDP-1/Spacewar! project at the [[Computer History Museum|CHM]]
** [https://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/text/DEC/pdp-1/DEC.pdp_1.102664173.pdf spacewar 4.4] - source
** [https://www.computerhistory.org/pdp-1/_media/pdf/DEC.pdp_1.102664469.pdf PDP-1 Computer and Space War] - brochure showing Spacewar! being used by DEC for marketing the PDP-1
* [https://www.masswerk.at/spacewar/ Spacewar!] - a wealth of material
** [https://www.masswerk.at/spacewar/inside/ Inside Spacewar!] - "A Software Archeological Approach to the First Video Game"
*** [https://www.masswerk.at/spacewar/inside/insidespacewar-minskytron-hyperspace.html Intermission: Digging up the Minskytron Hyperspace]
* [https://www.wheels.org/spacewar/index.html Spacewar]
* [http://www.ubanproductions.com/ImlacDocs/minispacewardoc.pdf Mini Space War 1.0 C3]
** [http://www.ubanproductions.com/imlac_sw.html Imlac Software Library]


[[Category: Games]]
[[Category: Games]]

Revision as of 18:00, 10 June 2025

Spacewar! is perhaps the earliest widespread video game. It was written at MIT for their then-new DEC PDP-1 at RLE, using the Type 30 Visual CRT Display vector graphics display on the machine.

It initially conceived by Stephen R. (Slug) Russell, J. Martin Graetz and Wayne Wiitanen, and written by a varying combination, over time, of Graetz and Russell along with Dan Edwards, Alan Kotok, Robert A. Saunders, Peter Samson and Steven Piner.

A version was later made available for the IMLAC PDS-1; object code for several revisions of the IMLAC version seems to exist.

Further reading

External links

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